Hi! so im a 14 year old male currently living in alaska anchorage (in case that has anything to do with it) I have been expierencing acne for about 2 years now. it started out as a couple pimples around my nose area but esculated to at least 7 or 8 on my cheek(right cheek in particular) and 6 or 7 on my temples. i tried proactive and it resulted in dry acne prone skin. no change. i tried using normal bar soap. didnt do anything except irritate my skin. i tried some special acne bar soap. nothing except red skin. i tried a neutragena morning face wash.(its blue in a clear bottle) i tried just water and got some better results but my face alway seems a little red. i added moisterizer and it worked alright. i went back to proactive for another try and got no result. recently i read about a no washing method and realized that on the weekends when i dont wash for a couple days my face looks better. so i decided to try the "cave man" method. im now on day 4, no break outs, a few remaining puss filled zits on my face and the usual on my cheek(not puss filled. just kinda red or brownish) im now on day 4 and my face is looking about 50% clearer. my discoloration is nearly absent. i have a darker more even complexion. my acne has really gone down. im going to stay on this regime but i have some questions on how to get rid of that stubborn cheek acne. my skin is kinda combination between oily and dry, my skin is always kinda rough, and acne is hereditary throughout my family. so any comments suggestions, or questions would be helpful! thank you for all responses!

Okay, so I've gone and removed a great number of my posts, which is why my log is currently empty. I'm going through a period in my life I'd rather not articulate, but this means I kind of want to exist as least as possible on the Internet - partly because I don't want to be found by certain people. I've also realized that I post far too often on the forums, and have been doing so while I isolate myself from the world and shirk duties (thanks in part to my skin).

I will still be updating this thing, but probably more seldom than I have been. I tend to come on here most often when I'm feeling badly about how things are going, so hopefully cutting back a bit will help some. I'm still on the same regimen, MaMa lotion + Aczone, and haven't noticed any appreciable changes - my face is continuing to get more and more hyperpigmented, and existing lesions are still healing very slowly. I'm seeing a dermatologist tomorrow, finally, for Accutane, and I will definitely update you all on how that goes. I really hope it works out and that I finally get to go on Accutane, because it's really time to nip this problem in the bud. Other than that, I'm trying to stay positive... for once.

In case this derm doesn't work out, I've found another who basically said he'd prescribe me Accutane if my blood tests came out normal. The only catch he had was that his clinic requires a patient to undergo a 4-week course of treatment on birth control, antibiotics, and topicals, just to 'prove' they're committed. I wrote him back and said I've never been more serious anything about my skin, and that I need to get the majority of my course in over the summer - there's no way I can manage my final year of school while weak, tired and stupid on Accutane. Hopefully he's understanding about this (because I'm already on birth control and have tried a slew of different antibiotics, which haven't helped me), and we can work something out. Even so, at least I've got back-up. That's all for now, everyone.

I'm just going to add onto this post for now; just wanted to share a bit of excitement. My biggest worry about Accutane is, of course, not being prescribed it - for the longest time, I've been under the impression that a derm will *not* allow it unless they absolutely have to give it to you. I've been stressing about my visit to tomorrow's derm since I set it up, for fear he won't be willing to give me Accutane - or worse, put me on a round of random medications to 'try' and clear me. Well, the consultation fee isn't that much so I'll go anyway, but the doctor I mentioned above (with the 4-week course) has emailed me back to say that he's willing to bypass the month-long treatment before he prescribes Accutane.

Basically he told me to make an appointment and that if I qualified (once he looks at my face and gets a bit more of my history, which I've already described to him), I could get entered into the system that day. Wow, I'm really happy about this... I was afraid he would insist I do the 4-week treatment, but I guess he's willing to forego that because I'm already on birth control and don't respond to antibiotics, anyway. I'm setting up an appointment with this derm directly after finals; I'm tempted to just skip tomorrow's appointment because I have a ton of studying to do - and just go to the other derm. Ah, I don't know.

We'll see, but I'm really happy this is finally starting to work out a bit. Most of the other derms I've consulted have given me extremely ambiguous answers (we do prescribe Accutane, ubt you'll first need to pay a $150 consultation fee just so we can look at you briefly), or have turned me away because I don't have severe, nodulocystic acne. So, woo hoo. This is one ray of light in my otherwise emotionally taxing, crappy crappy week.

Nov 6

Brief history-
I'm 24 years old, I've had severe acne from 19-21. During that time I had clear periods where my skin would look perfect thanks to Retin-A and antibiotics. When I stopped Retin-A my acne came back with a vengance, so I started using it again and went through an ib all over again, this time however I was left with scarring. I got off of Retin-A again (why I have no clue..) and used only antibiotics. During that time I'd get the occasional breakout. When I turned 22 I decided to go on accutane. When I finished I had great skin. Occasional mild breakout just like any normal person. I didn't wash my face or anything, only with water. The past month I've started seeing my skin break out again, I seem to have 1 pimple on my skin always this past month. I'm a US citizen working as an overseas contractor for the US Government in the middle east helping to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (gosh I miss home). Anyways, this past month I was on vacation in Europe and then I went back home to the US to see my friends and family, so it could've been a number of things, eating terrible..not working out..not drinking enough water..not taking vitamins..emotional stress...when I'm overseas I exercise everyday and drink plenty of water and maintain a healthy diet, although I'm always stressed. Anyways I'm running off the road so let me get to the point : I'm scared my skin is going to break out all over again...and I want to rid my face of discolorations...I want my skin to glow, be poreless, look like I have a natural airbrush. I do have scars, not sure what kind, I don't think they're horrible but the lady at the spa said if I do this obagi(which uses retin-a) then it should make a huge difference, then when I go back home I'll do a tca peel. BTW I plan on using retin-a from this point on for the rest of my life. So this will turn out to be quite a long log.


Ok so the Obagi NuDerm consists of an AM/PM routine
AM
Gentle Cleanser, Toner, Clear( includes a 4%hydroquinone to correct hyperpigmentation and improve even skin tone), exfoderm (a 3% phytic acid that removes old skin cells while promoting new skin cells for a lighter brighter complection)

and

PM

Gentle Cleanser, Toner, Clear(supposed to use day and night but I'll only be using during daytime and spot treating at night wth it), Blender(4% hydroquinone to target discolored areas of skin and increase penetration of active ingredients into your skin), Tretinoin(topical perscription for acne and wrinkles)

Ok the tretinoin is .05%, and like I said I'll be using it forever, I remember my skin was amazing when I used it for like 5 months. So using it for years, well should give me great skin. I'm giving this system a try. I know it's expensive, but I hope it's worth it. The worst that could happen is my skin looks better lol. I think due to the price it won't be a long term thing, just the 6 months worth of product I have. But then again, if my skin looks great who knows.


Nov 4 Day 1
AM
Cleansed, toned, applied the hydroquinone cream the exfoliating cream and sublock/sunscreen.
PM
Cleansed, toned, applied the pm hydroquinone (did not use retin-a)

Nov 5 Day 2

My skin feels really smooth and clean today.

AM
Cleansed, toned, applied the hydroquinone cream the exfoliating cream and sublock/sunscreen.
PM
Cleansed, toned, applied the pm hydroquinone, applied retin-a

Nov 6 Day 3

Well, the 1 pimple pimple I had is drying up. But so is the rest of my skin. It's starting to itch and look kinda red. I decided today I will only use Retin-A twice a week at first to lessen the impact of the IB, if there will be one. I'll slowly work up to using it every other day.Also since I work night shift until like jan or feb I won't be applying sunblock/sunscreen before bed. I'll apply it at night before I go to work.

AM
Cleansed, toned, applied the hydroquinone cream the exfoliating cream

Hi I'm Lexi, I have fair, combination skin.
Although my acne is light, I'm prone to discolouration after the acne is cleared, making it seem as though the acne is still there.

I've decided to give shea butter a go, since I have heard good things about its acne healing properties and how well it combats uneven skintone.

I've only been on this new regimen for a couple of days:
I wash my face with Neutrogena visibly clear 2 in 1 wash/mask in the morning and at night
after my morning wash I apply 5% BP
after I wash my face at night, I apply the unrefined shea butter and leave it on overnight.

I'm a bit worried due to the greasy texture of the shea butter, but it doesn't appear to have caused any breakouts or pore congestion as of yet.

I'd like to hear from anyone else who's tried shea butter, whether it had worked for them etc.

Hello Everyone,

I'm a 25 year old guy and have had bad acne since age 14...up until recently.

I used to have a "good" day about once every 2 or 3 weeks, but most of the time my face was just plain bad. Here is what I've been doing differently:

Firstly, this change in my skin would not of happened if I didn't do any research. FINDING THIS MESSAGE BOARD and reading is what helped me alot in the first place!!!

What I eat/drink GREATLY affects my skin. No more pizza, Chinese food, or junk like that! I really have to watch what I eat, which can be difficult at times because I have a fast metabolism. For breakfast I have healthy cereal with 6g of dietary fiber, low in sodium and sugar. NO MILK. cereal without milk is actually not so bad. also strawberries and almonds and 1 egg all for breakfast. Breakfast has to be kept really light because it's very harsh on you body after a nights sleep. i NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!

As for the rest of the meals in the day, I just try to eat foods that are high in antioxidants: veggies, fruits. I also try to have olive oil in my meals. fish is great.

4-8 CUPS OF GREEN TEA/day!! seriously, this stuff does wonders. It can detox your system if you drink a lot of it which is great.


I also change my pillow case everyday. it definitely helps!

I steam my face with green tea every morning before I do my regimen!! very important!! I only got great results after I started doing this, which was about 3 weeks ago. I hold my face over the steaming pot for about 10 minutes and then wash with clearasil soap.

I WASH MY FACE ONLY 2 TIMES A DAY NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!! the biggest mistake I used to make in the past was I would wash my face too many times in one day! sometimes 4 times in one day. even though i get kind of oily by mid day, i pat dry with a paper towel or something but don't wash just because you're oily!


I ex foliate with proactive solution mask 2x a week, not any more than that! otherwise my face gets too dry. once a week i moisturize before bed.

after i steam and wash my face, i lightly apply a proactive toner (the clear stuff), then i use clearasil vanishing cream. I know it's 10% benzoil peroxide but I have REALLY thick skin and it just absorbs it right in. dan's regimen says i should use 5% bp but if I use that, my face becomes really really shiny and gets very oily and shiny all day. ugh. when I spread the clearasil cream on, I HAVE TO DO IT VERY VERY GENTLY. i don't stretch the skin at all. it takes a while to cover my whole face with it but it's worth it. I have like 2 little red marks that are like scars so i put a tiny little covergirl makeup on those spots. I only use the bp in the morning before I head out. after I wash at night I use a 5% bp



Right now I have no pimples. I look and feel great! I feel like I can do anything i want to. It's truly a wonderful feeling to not have to shy away from things because of your face! Life has been great like this with clear skin for about 3 weeks. Now I need to find myself a date for my cousin's wedding coming up!! )

If anyone has any questions, you can feel free to message me or email me.

ps I'm typing this very quickly without much thought cause it's 1:20am

I'll start off with the most imporant part of what has changed my life.

I recieved Christ last year and I can never write or explain how much that has changed my life. One thing thats been the hardest to walk away from is my OCD. I've felt helpless for years struggling with OCD. Its crazy, at my worst I used to pull my hair out on top of picking. I stopped pulling my hair out, but one thing I have never gotten control of was picking. I would cut my nails, cover the mirrors and pat myself on the back for not picking for a couple of weeks- then I would pick for hours, get very depressed, and not go around people for days. Its very hard to admit or talk about but I feel like i have to.

I was crying out to God asking Him to take this awful habit away and came across the verse that is my signature. Reading that was the first time I connected what I was doing to actually being cruel, not only to myself, but my family as well.

So here I am admitting that I have to put it in God's hands. I can no longer let this habit control my life. I'm focusing on that verse each time to the point that I say it to myself before I realise I was close to putting my hands on my face. Its not gone but I am hoping this is a place where I can be honest, be accountable, and offer support as well.

I keep a log in my pocket of everytime I get an urge to pick and stop and write that verse/say it instead of putting my hands on my face or body. I only picked once yesterday which is a far cry from the 20-30 minutes I would spend picking each day. There isnt one scab on my face and I feel so much more comfortable. I even went out without makeup on yesterday.

I started ocm and do acv with asprin and green tea, the difference is amazing.


I did however have a big problem. I put neosporin on 3 places on my face a few days ago and now I have a horrible weeping itchy rash. I am taking benadryl but not sure if I can put any cortosone creams on my face. I must be allergic to the neosporin. Is there anything else I should use? Should I discontinue ocm until the rash goes away? will the acv mixture hurt it?

My other question is should I use the acv/gt/asprin toner after ocm or wait for awhile...or should I use it only in the morning when I dont do OCM?

My skin is so much smoother and other than some dark spots from old wounds, it is 200% better than it was just a few days ago.

I'm on 40mg a day.. I started Monday taking the pill at dinner.

Day 1: Nothing of note, but I'm happy that I save a ton of time not having to use special washes, creams, and topicals.

Day 2: If I feel even slightly warm my face gets heated and feels very hot. Ears and face flush. Yawning makes me turn red for about 20 seconds even. Nothing else of note, no change in face.

Day 3: Acne actually seems better, there are simply less pimples. Don't know if it can be attributed to Accutane this early (3rd pill) though, so I'm holding tight. I haven't experienced the dryness or chapped lips or anything like that yet. My face is still very oily.

Day 4: To be continued...

hi guys
So i just thought i would tell you what i use on my skin to keep it clear so that hopefully it can help others. Everything i do to get rid of pimples i got from this site so THANKYOU ACNE.ORG!! Every morning and night i wash with a 4% chlorhexidine wash (it is AWESOME), tone with ACV, and moisturize with a cetaphil moistutiser. That is all! About once a week i will do a scrub with clean and clear blackhead scrub before i wash with the chlorhexidine because i have combination skin so it needs a bit of a scrub now and then.

Outside my regimen i make sure i drink 6 teaspoons of ACV. it has to be ORGANIC for it to work (Braggs brand is good). i mix 2 teaspoons in with 1 litre of water and i drink about 3 litres a day. It is magic i swear by it. It gets rid of redness and makes my skin look smooth.

So just thought i would share this so hopefully it will help someone.

oh and my acne type i would say is light to moderate acne (but not anymore!!)

any questions plz post and i'll get back to you

I was 11 when i gOt my first huge zit on the center of my nOSE!! and that's where it all started.. blackheads.. whiteheads.. HUGE PIMPLEs all over my face!! that's where it all began.. i've spent 7 years crying myself to sleep, being bullied by everyone, including my relatives, being stared at as if i totally grossed people out. my life was horrible with acne.. I've tried everything:

-nivea products- made my face even more oily
-Mena- didn't do anything
-renow D- gave me even more blackheads
-chinese acne creams- made my face red
-CETaphil- created tons of little bumps on my face
-FORever flawless acne kit- gave me huge pimples on my cheeks
-PROACTIVE SOLUTION- REGRETTED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT!!! didn't JUST wipe out my wallet.. but gave me even mOre problems like over drying and itching.. totally hated it..
-Tea tree OIL kit from the BOdy Shop- it worked.. kinda.. it was just ok... but didnt really help prevent my pimples from coming back..but LOve the smell
-papaya soap- helped alot! but after a few weeks it all came back..
-kojic acid soap- dried out my skin.. make it red and itchy..
-pond's facial wash- hated it..!!!
-pond's cream- worked for a while..pimple came back after a month..
-Panoxyl- dried out my face too much.. didn't work..

BUT i did FINALLY find something that worked 3 days after using it..
DALACIN C (CLINDAMYCIN) (CLEONCIN) capsuls SAVED MY LIFE..
All u have to do is empty the capsul in one of your favorite toners/cleansers. a cleanser that works for you of course. in 3 days i saw the difference.. It actually prevents new pimples from forming and it dries out present one's.. 1 300mg capsul will do, but after getting used to it, you'll probably need 2, depending how severe your acne is.. you guys may not believe me.. but i'm someone that really suffered as in to death, trying to figure out ways to cure my acne.. i started using this right after i stopped using proactive.. it really works. for oily skin types, u don't need to use any moisturizer at all.. just simply wash your face.. and tone.. this is one of the best solutions most filipinos use.. if u don't see any improvment within 1 week, u can gladly stop it.. but i doubt it..


Clindamycin are good for acne since they attack the bacteria supposedly causing its inflammation ( Propionebacterium acnes). I've personally used it and I was happy with the results. I did not take them orally as they are more effective if you use them on your face directly.Use as much as you want. This way, you won't have to deal with the side effects, you concentrate on the face, you save a lot more money this way, you get better results, and you won't make your body immuned to antibiotics.People and situations are different. For me, it took me two weeks to see significant results. And I had severe acne. I used the Eskinol mixed with Dalacin C as much as I could. There was a noticeable difference in three days. But my face was almost clear in two weeks.Taking Dalacin C everyday or more can be expensive. And there are side effects to be wary about. If you decide to take them by mouth, you will have to take them for two weeks maximum. For the frequency, you will have to ask a doctor. It depends on your body type and medical history.


i use this with ESKINOL derma C cleanser.. 2 times a day..works just perfect.. for severe acne, it may take some time.. bout 2-3 weeks.it may dry out faces for some.. but all u need is a moisturizer that suites u.. and TADAAAA!! acne free.. Its worth a try.. all u need to do is add it to a toner/cleanser u usually use.. may start out with 2 capsuls if severe!
its COmpletely SAFE..

U can buy this at any drug store.. guys.. this may look simple.. but you'll totally THANK me for the results. try this and you'll have no problem with pimples. Plus! you get to have a smoother face.. it's also good for preventing BLACKHEADS....


All u have to do is:

go to a drugstore and buy Dalacin C 300mg.. it's an antibiotic in capsule form..

also buy an astringent about 70-80ml... any brand will do.. use the most famous brand you think you can afford.. astringents with 100-200 ml, u shud use 2 capsuls..

open the capsule and put it all the powder in the bottle of the astringent...

shake it well..and shake before everytime using it

apply this after you wash your face.. 2 times for me..

after a week, your skin will feel soft and your face will start to clear..

if your skin is dry, you can add a capsule or two of vitamin E (400mg capsule) this will help moisturize your skin..

and whenever you have a zit, just put some of this solution on a cotton ball and soak your pimple with it..

your acne will disappear in 2 days or less..

GOOD LUCK!

Wish me luck!

Please feel free to add any input about my regiment or if you have a question!

Started: 10/21/09
Treating Pustules acne, which are red, inflamed, infected plugged oil glands, somtimes filled with pus.

AM:
Organic Shea Butter African Black Soap- Very gentle rub the soap on my hands on to my face and neck for 3 mins then wash off with warm water, pat dry wait 15 mins before applying lotion if needed.
(Only if needed) Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion- Very gentle and lite rub the lotion on my hands on to my face and neck.

PM:
Organic Shea Butter African Black Soap- Very gentle rub the soap on my hands on to my face and neck for 3 mins then wash off with warm water, pat dry wait 15 mins before applying lotion if needed.
(Only if needed) Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion- Very gentle and lite rub the lotion on my hands on to my face and neck.

Twice a week at night St. Ives Arpricot Gentle Scrub- After cleaning my face with soap, very gentle rub the scrub on my hands on to my face and neck for 3 mins then wash off with warm water, pat dry and follow up with lotion if needed waiting 15 mins before applying.

Twice a week at night Dead Sea Magic Mineral™ Mud Mask - After cleaning my face with soap, pat dry wait 15 mins then apply mask on to dry skin, let sit on face and neck for 10 mins then wash off with warm water, pat dry and follow up with lotion if needed waiting 15 mins before applying.

Doxycycl HYC 100mg Twice a day
Zinc 50mg Twice a day
Omega 3 Fish Oil 1200mg Twice a day

Green Tea: 4 to 5 Cups a day
Water: 4 to 5 Big Glasses a day

I've tried EVERYTHING, trust me, and nothing seemed to work.
I have naturally light brown skin and my skin never gets red of burned or starts peeling from harsh products like Benzoyl Peroxide, Retin-A etc. They also never cleared me of my (mild) acne.

I believe my skin is just insensitive and I just need higher concentrations of product.
So, after visiting my doctor, he prescribed me Differin and Minocycline.

I take the Minocycline once a day and I use Differin every night.

After applying the Differin, I wait till it's all "sucked up" by my skin and I apply Dan's Moisturizer (Which is the best moisturizer I've ever used, just don't like the smell).

I also apply Acne.org Benzoyl Peroxide every other night after the Differin, and I finish again with moisturizer.

Right before going to sleep I make sure I apply:

Neoderma's Blue Blood Gel (Anti-Aging and helps other Neoderma Products work even better, works great for under eyes =D)

Neoderma's Rebalancing Intense Matifying Serum (Reduces sebum production and makes skin feel smooth and healthy)

Neoderma's Rebalancing Matifying Cream (Reduces sebum production and makes skin feel smooth and healthy)


In the morning I cleanse, and then I use Benzoyl Peroxide (ever other day), then I moisturize.

And every morning after moisturizing I use the Neoderma Products again.


I also use Neoderma's Rebalancing Cream Mask once a week.

This regimen is quickly clearing up my acne, I feel much better and more confident now.
I also go to my esthetician once a month and get a Bio-Peel (Neoderma =D), this is the best peel I've ever had and it works wonders.

My Acne is mostly whiteheads with a few inflamed things, but those are quickly going away.
I really love Neoderma products and the Rebalancing line is great for whiteheads, I just started using this and I love it.

Day 1
Wasnt sure if this would fit under one of the categories so I thought id put it here. Might see if I can link it to my signature too.

So this is my 3rd battle with acne. I never thought id get to this point again. I was on top of the world when I last finished the medication. Kinda disappointed that ive had to start again. But on the plus side ive caught it earlier this time and maybe being a bit more educated about how to deal with it and look after myself will help to clear it quicker.

In terms of medication im starting on 1x300mg Tetralysal (Lymecycline) and Isotrexin gel (Isotretinoin with Erythromycin), once or twice a day. These are different to the early meds that I was on before. The doctor cannot prescribe me anything stronger so im starting with this until I get a derm appointment.

Im also starting 1xmultivitamin suppliment tablet (contains just about everything you need), 1x 500mg Omega 3 6 9 oil capsule and 1x200mg Pantothenic Acid tablet (Vitamin B5). Theres going to be a whole load more water being drunk, changing of pillow cases, not using the same towel on my body as my face when I wash, eating ALOT healthier, less touching my skin, more exercise (running every morning) and a better sleeping pattern that is regular and involves me getting enough sleep every night.

Ive also decided that im going take my focus away from what I look like at the moment and what people think of me (which is the main thing that is really getting me down) and channel it into working hard on getting clear and doing active things that will help. I dont think that the things I want to do are unrealistic. They are all easily done and very manageable.

Away from the acne im starting therapy for my moderate depression in 2 weeks with a counsellor. Im quite looking forward to this actually. And already im starting to change the way I think with my change of focus and with more and more things that I read on here.

Ok so my current skin situation- the main breakout areas are on my forehead just below my hair line and arond my mouth and chin. I rarely get spots on my cheeks which is where the main problem was last time. I had a breakout at the weekend so have about 10 or so around my face. Its not major but they are persistant and quite big. Each breakout was getting worse so fingers crossed thatll stop soon enough. I would take some pictures but pictures arent good for my mind so I will avoid that. Will post some when I feel confident enough.

So here goes. Im starting quite hopeful and I hope it stays that way!

To keep it simple, I've been clear now for a few weeks with a new regimin:

- BP wash morning and night
- After, apply Witch hazel + Tea Tree Oil (I soak them on a cotton pad)

It's been a miraculous change in my skin. I still have many red marks left over from months of breaking out but I will say this. Over the past few weeks I've done the following:

- Eaten two gallons of ice cream
- Drink milk every day
- Work out 5 days/week using creatine and protein
- Made and ate a ton of pasta over the last few weeks
- Soda, chips, frozen pizzas, mcdonalds...

(I'm working to gain 5-10lbs, which has been going well and the reason why I've been eating worse than normal lately)

Diet != Acne, at least in my case. I've tried the organic, lactose-free, low-sugar diet and found no change.

I was using tea tree oil before with BP, but I definitely think the witch hazel has a huge effect. It dries out my face so much! In fact, these things together feel so great on the skin - really refreshing feeling and smell.

Hello everyone,

I joined acne.org in 2006, at the height of my worst breakouts. This was my original post. I was seriously losing all hope until I was emailed by someone on here who saw my photos and told me a lot of my experiences were similar to those suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Sure enough, I talked to my doctor and began treatment for it. The hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS had a major effect on my acne and so in addition to using Tazorac and taking the pill, my hormone levels began to approach normalcy and so too did the acne I was experiencing.

I am posting my photos here to show that success is possible and to also share with you how the forums here helped me. If it wasn't for the person who emailed me about my posts, I don't know if I would have ever solved my problem.

Keep posting your thoughts, questions, and don't ever give up. If I had, I wouldn't be where I am today. In a nutshell, I have acne.org and the supportive posters who wrote me such kind words during one of my lowest times to thank for my breakthrough.

If you have any questions, or just need to talk, please feel free to message me.

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Hi guys, my names boyo and I've been troubled by acne for over 5 years now. I've just turned 19 and I look back at what my skin used to look like and I think WOW. I wish I knew about accutane the first month I got acne. But yeh I just want to give you guys a bit of guidance, (and hope) by presenting to you my journey to 99% clear skin. (ps mods please move to wherever necessary I wasn't sure where to put this thread)


Background
Let me give you a bit of a background of myself. I'm a dude from nepal, with tanned skin. Not dark its a quite light tan, a bit darker than your average asian. My skin is naturally quite thick and resilient, and very firm. The good thing about this is that I don't scar easily at all. The bad thing is that because I'm brown, I have very bad hyperpigmentation whenever I get spots on my cheeks or nose (not on my chin or forehead), and it takes FOREVER for this to fade. Anyway let me tell you about my story.....


Acne Kicks in
It was about 2004 when I started getting acne, it started with small spots on my forehead. Nothing major, they went away after a couple of days. Then when i turned around 14, the hormones kicked in. I used to get those big red hurt-to-the-touch blistering spots on my cheeks, the types where they have no head and they seem to merge with other ones to create big ones. To be honest, they were quite rare, happening every few weeks, but in between, I had mild acne. The whiteheads were always popping up on my cheeks, it was so bad. My confidence died etc. I went to my GP and he prescribed me Duac.


Duac
Duac is a topical treatment that is a mix of benzoyl peroxide and clindamycin. It was very good at making my spots shrink and disappear, but that was the only positive. I didn't put the cream on individual spots, but I always applied it to the whole cheek area, which is a bad method. A few months after, my spots died down(a bit), but i had really really dry skin and my skin was really obviously damaged. My red marks were so bright and red that they looked just as bad as the spots, and I realised that the benzoyl peroxide was damaging my skin. So i stopped abruptly.................................worst decision ever. IF you are ever thinking of stopping BP, do it slowly, use less and less of it until you use no more. But anyway a day after stopping Duac completely, my face broke loose. I dont think there was a single patch of clear skin on my cheeks or nose, I stayed home from school for like 4 days! So yes off it was to my GP again...
Lesson learned: don't use BP on the whole face, just individual spots. Also, if BP isn't working for you, reduce the amount GRADUALLY


Minocycline
I went to my GP again (this was in about 2005), and I was prescribed Minocycline. This was an antibiotic and was meant to work really well, but I was so impatient that after seeing no results a few weeks later, I was inconsistent with taking it. This is when I resorted to OTC. OTC (over the counter products) damaged my skin badly as well. Taking a different cream or vitamin every week was surely making my acne worse, and I eventually gave up on Minocycline as I thought that it wasn't helping. I carried on using the topical clearasil and clean and clear etc, but my skin wasnt improving at all.
Lesson learned: take antibiotics religiously, dont fret.


Acne.org
I then came across these boards, reading threads about what has worked for people. I tried damn nearly every single thing that there was on this board, none of it working. I tried tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar topically and orally, fish oil, vitamin e, lemon juice, and generally all the products suggested here. I browsed the treatment reviews section and saw that Vitamin C was awarded a very high rating, so I started taking that. Bad move. Very slowly I started developing cysts. Im not sure if this was directed a consequence of the Vitamin C i was taking, but Im pretty sure it was. I was taking about 1g of vitamin C daily and eventually I started developing cysts on my nose and on my cheeks. I eventually was fed up and went to the GP for the 3rd time.
VERY important Lesson learned: something that works for others will not necessarily work for you!!


Rock-Bottom skin
This is the turning point in my story. The GP prescribed my erythromycin and Fusidic Acid creams. They are both STRONG antibiotics, both oral and topical respectively. He said that my acne was starting to get badly infected and referred me to the dermatologist immediately. A week later I went to the dermatologist, and got prescribed my miracle product, Roaccutane.AHH.
Lesson learned: seek PERSONAL help from others, not just generic threads online(but they can also be very helpful)


Accutane
Accutane was a lifesaver for me. Not at the beginning, but I sit here 2 months post accutane with smoother skin than a non-acne sufferer. My red marks are very very faint now, and my scars are pretty much gone except for a few ice picks.

I was prescribed 20mg for 4 weeks then bumped up to 40mg for 5 months. I weighed only 50kg then so thats why the dosage was so low. I admittedly did not get an "initial breakout", as my skin was the worst it could be, and I think the erythromycin I was on prevented any MORE breakouts, so that was a very good thing. The accutane was great after a few weeks, and amazing after a few months. All spots went away, they were all smaller in size, no spots were developing, my big cysts were dying down etc. This has lasted until now, I've had no problems with the actual accutane on the ACNE. However, I was subjected to very bad side effects which I will list here:



Side effects
1. My lips were dry (i didnt care about this but yeh)
2. I developed hard bumps under my skin which were apparently cysts underneath the surface that accutane prevented developing any further, but still remained under the skin. They were very hard but weren't visible so thats good. I can assure you, post accutane, these dissolve away and your skin becomes super smooth.
3. My hair thinning. This was the worst side effect by far. Waking up to find 20hairs on your pillow and hair clogging the shower drain is a very stressful sight. My hair is now on the road to recovery but it took a long time. Firstly find out if its telogen effluvium or male pattern baldnes by looking at a hair that has fallen out. If its got a white bulb at the end, its TE(temporary!) if it doesn't have a white bulb on any of them, its MPB. But I combated my TE by SIPPING 2 litres of water a day (dont chug it down or you'll just pee it all out) whilst taking 2.5mg of biotin daily. Too much biotin makes you break out so find the right dose. But the main thing was time, trust me if its accutane-related, its a 95% chance its going to go back to normal.
Lesson Learned: accutane is a miracle to SOME. It won't work for 1% of you out there. Least you can do is TRY. Also, it is possible to combat your hair loss


Post accutane
Post accutane I now have no spots, and Dan's AHA has really really helped my red marks and scars fade away. I use it ever other nighttime, and that is the ONLY PRODUCT i use on my face. Nothing. Even washing my face I only use water, not clearasil or cetaphil(which is actually really good). It feels so great and I just hope that it remains like this.
Lesson Learned: the less products the better, and only use AHA POST accutane


Anyway I hope you had the time to read any relevant sections of this, PLEASE feel free to PM me with any further questions you have. Learn from your and my mistakes! Its taken me a good 30mins to write this out but I just hope alot of you can relate to this and therefore learn from what I did wrong and what i did right.

PS, ill post some before and after pics over the next few days, Im not at my home computer right now so ill have to do it after.

Hey guys and gals. I'm a 21 yo. guy who has been reading these forums a lot in the past and now I wanted to share what I have tried and what has helped me..
This ended up becoming really really long and very badly written so sorry about that. ^^ I'm too lazy to fix it.



I've had acne for about 8 years.
My first acne treatment ever was antibiotics long ago and I dont remember much of it tbh. It helped acne a bit I think but acne came back soon after I ran out fo pills ofcourse. It did kind of stop my back acne though.

Later over the years I used bp and even tried the acne.org regimen, but for my skin bp alone just doesnt do the trick and when used twice a day it makes my skin feel quite bad..

After many years of bad acne I finaly decided to go visit the dermatologist again. This time I was described roacuttane (yay...!)
After about 6 months I had finished my pills and was left with quite clear skin, dry lips and bleedy nose. Overall I was happy with treatment.
Buuut worst was to come.. soon after having stopped roacuttane I realized that my hair was coming off in great amounts... I could lose hundreds of hairs on a bad day and when I showered my hands got filled with hairs when washing it.
It was very scary and far more stressfull than having an acne.
And of course my acne came back as well withing few months - and just as bad as before.

At some point I went to meet the same ol' dermatologist again to talk about hair loss (which he said had nothing to with roacuttane) and acne for which he wanted to give me more roacuttane. I refused and managed to get him to describe me differin which I had wanted to try.
Differin alone didnt really do much for me except it perhaps cleared few blackheads from my chin. I started to use bp as well every few days and try all other kind of remedies you can find from here but nothing worked.
Also I kept losing my hair.. I started to look like a cancer patient and had to cut my hair short.. This was more embarracing to me than acne has ever been as I'm still young and losing hair at this age is way less common than acne.
After about 9-10 months of hair loss I decided to start using rogaine to regain some hair. After some weeks I could already see it working and over the next few months my hair grew back to normal. \o/ I stopped used rogaine after hair had been good for sometime and luckily it didnt fall off after stopping the use. Nowadays my hair is still like it should be Maybe it would have grown back even without the rogaine but it certainly speeded it up and made it grow back when it'd otherwise still had been falling off.

Now that hair was fine I ofcouse started to worry more about my skin again. I finaly decided to try different dermatologist this summer. She described me with bp (to be applied at morning) and differing (to be applied before going to sleep). She also described me with antibiotic pills (tetracyclin) to be taken twice a day at first and then once a day once things get better. I also got bp + antibiotic thing to be applied on worst inflamed areas.
I was sceptical.. many products but all of which I had already tried. But soon after starting my acne started getting a lot better. I still kept getting a bit of acne though but that was mostly just skin purging.
Now only after 2 months of this regimen I can say that I'm acne free for the first time in 8 years. Even blackheads from my nose are gone!! I thought nothing could make those disappear - even roacuttane did nothing to em.

So currently 99% of my blackheads are gone which is amazing and now that blackheads start to be gone Im not getting any inflamed acne either \o/

Few things I noticed over the years:

-Moisturising every day didnt do good for my skin. If skin gets really dry its good to use some but otherwise for me it was best to be without.
Also the use of sunscreen caused me to get a lot more blackheads and to new areas as well...

-Try avoid roacuttane as long as possible especialy if your hair means anything to you. I think antibiotics with bp & retinoids should always be tried first. Some of you probly think that antibiotics are super bad&evil as well but for me they have worked without side effects so Ill still recommend them.
(... I understand that the risk of side effects from roacuttane are quite small though but I was one of the unlucky ones and so could you. / )

-Go to dermatologist asap when you arent satisfied with your skin. I didnt and I'd have far less scarring now if I had went early. Also if you aint satisfied with your dermatologist try another. :>

- With my current regimen its important to only wash face twice a day.



I'm slightly worried of what will happen once I stop taking antibiotics completely. I hope bp and differin will keep acne away. :> With no blackheads acne shouldnt get too bad too fast at least. ^^

I wash with Neostrata 20% AHA wash. Shave using Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel. After my skin has dried I apply Neostrata 10% AHA Ultra Smoothing Lotion. Around my eye area I apply DCL AHA revitialing Eye Cream. @ night I wash again using the Neostrata 20% wash, towel dry, then apply either Retin-a .01 with 3% hydroquinone or Retin-a .05 with 7% hydroquinone. This is the regime that keeps me blemish and line free. I am 42. Chuck

So here goes, I'm starting a log.

I've finally reached a point where I'm generally happy about my skin. I think I'm mostly clear and I really think benzoyl and clindamycin work great together.

The biggest lesson I think has been its really important to be consistent and persistent. If I miss a single dose, my acne gets worse, but if I manage to not miss any doses for an extended period I really hardly get any pimples at all (maybe one/month when I used to get about one every day or two). I still have some inflamed red spots on my face which have been slowly improving but its taken a really long time (over 4 months). Hopefully if I stick it out I'll finally be able to get rid of this of the spots that really don't seem to want to give up (p. acnes is quite adept at surving but I think I'm definitely winning now).

For the past circa 6 months, I've had the following routine

-benzoyl peroxide 2.5% every morning and night (I've progressively been upping the dose, now I go through about one of those neutrogena style tubes a week b/c I use a little on my shoulds and back also)
-cindamycin phosphate lotion 1% every morning and night (takes about 1 - 2 months to use 50grams).

-recently (a few days ago) i started doing a midday 3rd application of benzoyl, just as an extra spot treatment (not all over my face).
-today i used neosporin for the first time on one pimple, and I'll keep you updated on how it works

After trying the "no chemicals on my face" approach for 6-7 months, I've decided to finally try Accutane.

I'm Asian, male, 19 years old, very oily skin, with moderate to severe acne.

My acne is hereditary, which is one reason why I've avoided Accutane for so long. If my father had acne well into his 40's, then I figured that once the Accutane course stopped, my genetics would reign supreme and bring back the acne.

However, I, like many of you, decided to try this miracle drug for whatever reason. I've tried Erythomycin, Clindamycin, Proactiv, Benzamycin, Tetracycline, Minocycline, Doxycycline, and Retin-A. And for the past 6-7 months, I've been taking various vitamins and drinking ACV.

I'm here to ask for third-party advice. I'd like to know the lasting effects of Accutane on oily-skinned people, especially Asian male ones. Almost all of my Asian relatives that have tried Accutane have not had successful courses. I'm trying to see the general trend of Accutane effects on Asians. Now I know that Asians, like every other race, do not all have the same skin type. Yes, there are Asians with different combinations of skin types but I'm just looking to see if a general trend exists.

But, I would also like to hear all of your tips/advice. Do you have hereditary acne, and did Accutane make a dent? Share any info you want to pass along! I'll keep you all posted on my Accutane adventure if I decided to move forward with this. I'll ask a mod to move this thread to the Accutane log section, and I'll turn this thread into a log.

All the best,

Louis

For the past couple of years I have dealt with acne and some scarring. I would start using a new product, it would work for a few weeks, then it would stop being effective, and I'd just stop trying. This cycle reoccurred repeatedly for the last few years. Then a week ago I decided that I should just got all out and truly stick to it. Best part of it all is that I actually did some thorough research, which I think really helped. Here's my skin care regimen. Please give me feedback, advice, anything. Thanks!

1. Take 2 Fish Oil/Flax Seed Oil pills (2,000 mg of fish oil) daily in the morning
2. Wash face with Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser daily in the morning in shower
3. Moisturize with Cetaphil daily after shower
4. Take 2 Vitamin A pills (16,000 I.U.) daily in the afternoon
5. Rub AHA+ on back, shoulder and chest area before bed to get rid of redness
6. Wash face gently with warm water before bed
7. Take 2 Zinc pills (100 mg) daily at night

• Drink at least 120 ounces of water daily
• Exercise daily
• Wash face with warm water regularly
• Eat proper diet
• Always take vitamins
• Sleep at least 8 hours a day

It's been 3 days following this regimen and I'm very optimistic. So far I haven't had a single breakout, my skin is feeling much smoother, the redness is slowly going away. I hope this is the final step in completely curing my acne

So what do you guys think? What do you like about it, what are your thoughts, what would you change...

All of your inputs are greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone! I thought I posted my log yesterday, but apparently it has dissappeared.

Anyway, I'm a long time acne sufferer, from ages 12-21 it was mild, but for the past 3 yrs it has been verging on moderate. Now I get pimples where I never got them before (along my jawline and cheeks), and I have more blackheads and clogged pores than I ever did before.

I've tried many products, including all forms of SA/BP (noxema, clean and clear, clearisil, proactive, acnefree, neutrogena, etc) and other products like st. ives apricot scrub. I was on retin-a when I was 16 for a while and it fucked my face up--it turned red and peeled and hurt really bad. Proactive and AcneFree (which are exactly the same: both have 3 step systems with the same levels of BP--cleanser, toner, lotion) seemed like they worked for my skin, and then within two weeks stopped working, made me breakout worse, and made my face itchy and red. The OTC salicylic acid treatments seemed to help more. But they didn't really improve my acne, they just seemed to keep some of it at bay. And sometimes they didn't even do that.

So, I'm really fed up with this, I'm 24 yrs old, I thought I'd be done with acne by now...blah blah blah. I have lots of hyperpigmentation but no scars, thank god. I began reflecting upon my acne history and product history. The only product that ever helped me was the proactive sulfur mask, but i really didn't want to give them any more money. I tried to find a sulfur mask at the store but couldn't. I eventually forgot about it.

Then a few weeks ago I decided to search for 'suflur soaps' and I came across a sulfur soap made my adovia online. The sulfur soap, along with another soap made by adovia--mineral acne soap--got really really good reviews. People with sensitive skin say it doesn't over dry them, people with oily skin says it reduces their oil; and everyone says that despite the fact that they've tried numerous acne products, none have worked like adovia's all natural mineral line. Their argument is that your skin needs minerals to be healthy and balanced, and that unlike BP and SA, minerals don't incur a dependency in your body; you'll never get 'used to' the minerals have have them stop working (which has happened to so many of us--and don't forget, even with Dan's regimen, you have to use more and more BP for it to continue working).

I've been using it for 2 weeks. Overall I can say that my face is not irritated, like it was with BP, some of my blackheads have purged themselves and started to heal, and a lot of my clogged pores are not clogged anymore. The products actually make my skin feel good and they smell way better than BP products.

This is the 'acne' system I bought from them:

1. mineral acne soap: smells nice, doesn't dry out skin, but sucks up excess oil
2. dead sea exfoliating facial salts: really sucks out bacteria/puss/dirt from your skin. for me, it unclogged some pores and brought other pimples to a head, which i guess has to happen eventually.
3. mineral toner: they claim this restores the pH of your skin--and it definatley does! It makes my skin feel calm, and doesn't burn (its alcohol free).

They give you free samples of things, including the mineral mud mask, and the mineral lift serum. The serum is supposed to help heal scars and create a layer that protects your skin from polluntants; its expensive to buy, but you only need a little bit. I'm considering buying it.

I do this regimen 2x a day, and I've been doing it for 2 weeks. My acne isn't gone, but it does seem to be improving. For me, I feel like the process of getting clear skin is the process of disloging all the gunk in my pores. I have clogged pores and blackheads that always turn into pimples, sometimes inflamed pimples. I think that my skin really needs more deep cleansing.
I only bought the 'light acne kit' because it was cheaper and i didn't want to waste my money on something that didn't work. The difference between 'the light acne kit' and the 'acne be gone' kit is a mineral mud mask--which I ordered and am waiting for.

But in the meantime, I've been using QUEEN HELEN'S MINT JULEP MASK (it has sulfur in it!). I had this mask in my bathroom, had used it before, but only once in a great while. For the past four days, I've been using it EVERYDAY, and along with the dead sea minerals, it's definately dried up some pimples and made my pores smaller. I think one of my biggest mistakes was not using a mask enough, because on the back of most masks it says use 2-3 times a week. I have slightly oily skin, so I'm not worried about it drying out. TRY USING THIS MASK EVERYDAY, WITH GENEROUS APPLICATION. Everyone's probably tried it before, but give it another chance. It's only like $4 at the drugstore.

I also moisturize with Clean & Clear Day lotion SPF 15, and sometimes at night I put on the Clean and Clear SA lotion.

I will keep you guys updated! I really hope this stuff works!!!!

Hello All,

I've been reading through the message board a lot this last month and finally decided it was time to participate myself.

I'm a 30 year old male who has been suffering from adult acne since my early 20's. I had great skin until my sophomore year of college when I just exploded with acne. I initially tried Proactiv which did not help and eventually saw a doctor who prescribed me Benzamycin. The Benzamycin worked wonders for me and I continued to use it for several years. Eventually I switched to Benzaclin simply for the ease of not needing to refrigerate.

Over the years I have moved a few times and each time I moved I tried to see if I could go without the Benzaclin but the acne returned. So I pretty much went 5 years with Benzaclin with great results. Unfortunately, in this last year the Benzaclin has become less effective. About once a month I will get a large cystic/nodular lesion that would last for weeks. They were bad enough to need steroid injections. The rest of my face would be clear except for these large lesions.

That's when I started to see a dermatologist and they added on retin-a, and eventually Tazorac at different formulations. I had a horrible experience with the retinoid products. I still would break out and it caused havoc with irritation and peeling despite tailoring the frequency of my usage. I developed little visible capillary vessels round my nose as well. Worst of all it made my skin extremely oily. So as of March of this year I stopped Tazorac.

I am now on Duac twice a day (yes its the same as Benzaclin) and Oracea (oral doxycycline). I still get extremely oily and get the occasional breakouts still but for the last month no large nodular or cystic lesions. This is quite a frustrating process and I hate to rely of medication. Well I just wanted to share my experience and hopefully I will continue to update this log. I have plenty to share about different medications, moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, etc but I guess that would be for a different post.

----------------------------
Current Regimen:
AM:
Cetaphil Cleanser
Duac
Oracea
Cetaphil moisturizer with SPF 15

PM:
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
Duac

Hi All. I'm new to posting in this forum, so please bear with me.

Over two months ago I was prescribed an oral corticosteroid to combat an allergic reaction I got to a moisturizer I used to use. Well, I'm on birth control and when you mix that with oral corticosteroids, it increases the toxicity of corticosteroids. Not only did this give me perioral dermatitis, but increased chin acne as well.

I saw a new derm on September 10 who diagnosed my condition and told me to take 100mg of Doxy daily and to use Ziana topical gel. Ziana works well against micropapules, but I think it sorta screwing with hormonal pimples. Even on birth control, I will get the occasional pimple on my chin (I take a triphasic pill) that dries up and goes away after three days when treating it only with topical retinoids. Anywho, the past week I've been alarmed and watching with eager anticipation over this (what I call) macropapule that just seems to keep growing bigger and bigger. I have pictures to show you in case you are wondering.

My questions related to this "marcopapule" are, is this a cyst? I've never had cysts before. Although this "macropapule" does not hurt to the touch and is not "hard" when I press my finger up on it. It does hurt if I press it with a q tip, but so does every papule I've had in the past.

Second, what can I do to treat this? I plan on icing it tonight to reduce inflammation, then applying ziana gel at night. I will use sulfur/resorcinol to dry the "macropapule" during the day. The kind I have is pretty good in that it's tinted and therefore reduces redness.

Or, should I just keep an "eye" on it and if it gets wore, call my derm?

I need advice because I'm sort of in a bind here. This perioral dermatitis business is not fun stuff. Plus everyone on here at acne.org are really nice and helpful.

I've included the images to this thread. They are titled according to the day I took the picture. Day 12 & Day 17 (which was today). Thanks!

Okay so I like to use numbers and seem organized about this so here I go.
This is just my regimen for my face, and I'll underline every product mentioned in this first post.

Every other Sunday I use a Biore nose strip to get rid of my black heads.
Every Sunday and Thursday I use MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask.
Every Sunday morning I use Benzaclin, and ever Sunday night I use Tazorac.
Every Morning and Night I use Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser (twice at night).
Every Morning and Night when I am finished doing everything I use Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday before bed I use MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator.

So Monday-Saturday in the morning I wash my face with the Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser and then use the Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.
Monday-Saturday at night I wash my face twice with the Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser, then I would exfoliate with MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If it's Sunday or Thursday then I would use MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask next. But for days when I don't use the MAC products the next step would be to just use Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.

Sunday in the morning I wash my face with the Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser, then apply Benzaclin, and then Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion.
Sunday at night I wash my face twice with the Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleanser, then use MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask, then apply Tazorac, and then Cetaphil Moizturizing Lotion. Every other Sunday at night I do a Biore nose strip before doing anything to my face.

A little sidenote: I just started this regimen last week, so I'll try and have weekly updates with pictures of how I'm doing and if I make any changes to the regimen. Right now I feel like there might be a lot of products being used, so there definitely might be some changes.

Why does it make ur skin red? It's also pushing everything to da surface should I use a s rub at dis point or not? SoMe one Pls help I use da alpha hydrox foaming cleanser then dans salyuc acid

Ok well i am new to this website after stumbling across it today at work so hello everyone and i wish everyone luck and i wish there was a cure for all spots etc

I wanted to share my experience and what I am about to endure....

I am male now jus turned 22 years young and i would say from the age of 13 i have delt (lived with) acne, although i always told myself it wasn't, and it would clear up by the time i was 20...

sadly that wasn't the case. and I have come to reality that i do get acne. its not as bad as the acne you see if you type "acne" into google images but right now i cant even look in the mirror.

i think it was about a year ago i approached my doctor who set me on antibiotics, i was on two types which i cannot remember the name for but the one that I got along with, and didnt cause stomach upsets and cured spots or nodules/cysts was doxycycline. and the cream skinoren. looking back i didn't take it all that seriously and just got on with my life and yes it helped but i wasnt to fussed since i was going through depression with another issue. anyway..

now ive hit 22 and i just cant be dealing with these huge spots that leave my face disfigured and scared. I cant bear looking at myself in the mirror anymore and i dont like going out the house. it totally destroys my self esteem.


see the pics bottom of this > >> > >>


I think today has tipped me over the edge and has been the first time i nearly cried over something. I have changed my diet, i exercise almost everyday, drink plenty of water had microdermabrasion performed, used all sorts of topical treatments added supplements to my diet eat more fruit and veg drink green tea. all to which have led me to spots which have really left an impact.

I dont know if its because 2 weeks ago i stopped the anti-b's but i have had spots cropping up daily. i get the deep ones that are white but deep and also nodules that make a huge bump in the skin, dont come to a head and then leave a nice dark spot which takes ages to heal and leaves a scar, these i have just learnt to leave alone, maybe dab some tcp on them, but they are never worth squeezing tbh.

as when i do pop them (if they pop) i get left with blemishes/scars. I know your not supposed to pop spots but I really cant help myself when you know they will pop and there begging to be relieved. when ever you get the puss out i always feel a sense of relief and achievement to some degree.

right now it honestly looks like someone has stubbed a cigarette out on my face in multiple places. and I am getting sick of applying make up.

I am keeping a photo diary everyday to see progress or to see if it worsens as days go on.

Id get a mixture of spots, deep and normal spots on on my left cheek and then on my forehead, then once the left hand side of my face cleared the other-side would take its turn, then my chin etc, and the cycle has repeated itself, i am now left with deep blemishes which DO disappear but they take agggggeeeesss to go, and by the time its faded i will have new worse ones etc, so the cycle keeps repeating itself

I think right now there are 1-2 spots and 18-20 blemishes.

Tomorrow i am seeing the doctor again to explain my situation and seeing what can be done.

I personally feel a dermatologist is on the cards this time or if i start anti biotics i will pay close attention to the effects and keep a diary.


tonight I have left the spots alone and seeing what my skin does naturally to heal them. and for a bit of a test i dug out the skinoren and applied it to a blemish just on my mouth area.

i had 3 nodules on saturday, one on my jaw line left side of face, one on temple inline with my eye (hurt to blink etc) again left hand side of face, and one on my forehead right hand side.


yet 2 weeks ago my left hand side of my face had 0 spots and maybe 2 blemishes.


anyway. i am really pulling the finger out now and its become an obsession for perfect skin for me.

and i feel that other the past month i have learnt a lot about spots that i never knew. i feel that over the next few months i would have really cracked it and look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.

wish me luck

Been browsing this website for reviews on what products I should buy.

*** Check my signature for updated regimen products***
Currently I'm using:
Purpose Gentle Cleanser
DDF BP5% with Tree Oil
Olay (Combination/Oily) Lotion with SPF15

St.Ives Apricot Scrub Acne/Oil ( In the shower )

Skin Type:
Asian (Tan, I live in Cali lol... ), Combination Oily I would say, after a couple hours in the day my face would start to build up oil around my nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. I need like 2-3 oil absorbing sheets ... Kind of annoying you might say.

Acne Condition:
Moderate, I get 2-4 pustules a day it seems, it's lame... and I have scars everywhere before of it. there are blackheads on my nose, but that doesn't bother me much. Oh and milia around my eye has been with me since forever I used to tweeze them, but it just hurts. Worried about my acne first before I bother with the milia under my eyes.

Make-up:
When I go out, I put on Bare Essential mineral make-up ( This stuff if GREAT ) just don't put on toooo much or you'll look like a powdered cookie. It covered most of my scars and reduces the redness. (Oh I use C.Dior make up oil remover when I take it off, can't find this at places anymore, not even at the airport stores.)

Food:
I don't really restrict myself on anything lol. I drink soda, eat chips, fries, mashed potatoes... I believe food shouldn't have a major effect on your skin unless you're having too much of something ? ( Note*** I don't like chocolate, don't drink, no drugs, or don't smoke.)

Habits:
I spend most of my day in front of the laptop. I'm told the computer screen is "Bad" for my skin ? I don't think so... when I was on vacation for a week my skin was just the same and I spent like maybe 1hr in front of any type of screen.

I'm 18 and I've been using Proactiv for... who knows how long... maybe 2 years? It did help "control" my acne like other have mentioned, but it didn't prevent new breakouts here and there. I even ordered the "Advanced Blemish Control ( 6% BP)" but that pretty much did nothing for me. I went to get a facial or two a month before, and the facialist just told me it's a hormonal thing. I stopped going since she advised me to use Murad which I did... and I broke up horribly.

Just trying out a "simple" regimen... I don't like using 6-8 things a time just to take care of my face and feel a bit more confident about myself... I think Proactive might of been too strong on my skin since I keep have a little break out here and there. I just don't know what's wrong, out of everyone I know only one other person at my age is suffering from acne like me.

Day1:
Cutting down to using simpler products like Purpose a BP and a Lotion day and night. Few days ago (since it's Summer) I let a few pustules grow and pop themselves so scarring wouldn't happen around my mouth area. But hey ! What do you do if you're going to go out or have date, can't do that all the time. But while doing that using the regimen, I noticed other pustules beginning to form and my skin was oily throughout the day . When I was staying at my boyfriend's place ( long distance relationship ) , I would use RareMinerals ( a Bare Essentials product ) mineral therapy, it's just loose mineral powder I put over after lotion so it would reduce redness, it had 4% sulfur. It's embarrassing for him to see my "real face" under the make-up with all my scars and red bumps, and at those pustules. He tells me I'm beautiful anyway, which just makes my day . After coming home from my vacation at his place, I started using my regimen above. ( I was using proactiv while on vacation, and took forever in the bathroom which I felt bad since he takes like 5 minutes tops.... ) Just used the RareMinerals again since my acne was looking for red than usual. I see some improvements . Thinking about going out today and buying for of that RareMineral stuff since I'm going low. I just want clear and smooth skin .

Two pics of both sides of my face, at bumps and all the ugly stuff.

Any comments about my regimen would be helpful, I just want something "simple" to be honest, nothing that takes like 30 minutes just cleanse>treat>moisturize

I've tried so many different regimens, antibiotics, accutane, cleansers up the wazoo (they keep stockpiling in my medicine cabinet), topicals etc. you've all heard it before. Though nothing but Accutane has worked for me (acne came back after 2 months of stopping however) I continue to have hope and perseverance to find my cure and hopefully help others along the way to find theirs.

My most recent SUPPLEMENT experiements:

Colon Cleanz: capsule form, Walmart, took for 6 days, i'm supposed to go back on after a week so i'll prolly start this again soon. didn't really notice any changes good or bad while on it for 1st week

Milk Thistle: designed to help the liver, not sure if it was coincidence or not but kept getting little zits while on this, maybe it was pushing things to the surface. however i haven't taken it for a few days and zits are still appearing so i'm going to say NOT HELPFUL for me

ACV: well i thought this did nothing for me while drinking it 2x a day 2-4tbsp. for 1 month
then i found out it doesn't work well when taking with fish oil so i'm going to give it another go and take it 4 hrs. apart from fish oil. i'll prolly drink it before bed.

Fish Oil: i've been taking this for 1 month. noticing much MUCH improvement in skin. i'm talking healthier, plumper, and glowing. i've been gradually increasing my intake. up to 3.5grams of EPA/DHA right now. my pills are extra strength so i only have to take 8 a day to achieve that versus some people having to cram like 12 pills in. still am breaking out but have recently learned 2 things about this stuff:

-don't take with fat-burning supplements like Green Tea Extract or ACV (i wait 4 hrs)
-takes anywhere from 3-6 months to really build up in your system so don't expect instant results

Green Tea Extract: honestly i don't know if this is helping me skin wise at all. it balances out my hormones, putting me in a good mood and very relaxed state though which is sweet. only problem is i'm down to 1 pill a day since i can't take it with fish oil. i just don't have enough hours in a day to space it out to take more so ah well.

B5: i think overdosing on this is NOT smart so i'm at a very safe intake right now of 1.5g. i feel that it helps with keeping my oil production down. however, since the weather is getting warmer, 1.5g is not really doing the trick anymore. i might double my intake if i can afford buying all these supplements.

Evening Primrose Oil: supposed to work well in conjunction with fish oil but i can't say for sure if the addition of it has helped at all. i'm taking 3 pills a day since 5/3. still looking into research for support of GLAs. lotta people recommend borage oil over epo. i'm going to use my bottle up and then switch to that probably.

and lastly i take a few vitamin supplements which i have learned do not get me clear but keep me functioning healthy:

-Multi Energy vitamin
-B-complex vitamin
-calcium

so these are my experiments with the supplements. next post i'll talk about my topical experiments incl. cleansers, moisturizers, and zit fighting medications. STAY TUNED hahhaha...yea i know i'm cheesy sorry

I recently purchased the handheld red/blue light from acnelamp.com I'd like to share with you how everything is going for people who were considering taking the light treatment route as I have.

Also, if anyone who reads this has had success with light treatment, some tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. The instructions that came with the unit were minimal.

Enjoyyyyy everyone.

Ok so basically in this thread I'm going to write a bunch of information about my skin type and I would like the communities help in chosing the right products !

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My Skin:

I have had acne on my skin for 2 years now, I am 16 so it may be hormonal. I find a day or two after masturbating my skin goes INSANELY dry/flaky. But when I don't do it for a week or two my skin becomes GREASY. I have tried salicylic acid about a year ago and it kinda irritated my skin and seem to agrivate my acne.

After I turned to using Cetaphil cleanser and Solugel 4 (4% BP) and it sorta worked but didn't clear alot. I have tried using Fish Oil pills wich worked well, but since WINTER has started my skin started breaking out alot so I stopped using them. Next I got on Doxycycline wich is a Antibiotic it worked for the first 1 1/2 weeks then I started getting acne as usuall.

I have alot of scarring on my cheeks and I get tinny pimple sometimes and once in a while I get these deep medium sized pimples. My skin tans easilly but rarely burns. Yet it gets red throughout the day since I get alot of blood circulation to my face. I find when I eat surgar filled stuff I break out more. I also have a fast metabolism and am constantly burning energy.

As of now I am using: Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, Solugel 4, Cetaphil Moisturizer + Jojoba oil. While I am also take 1 pill (50mg) of doxycycline daily.

I feel like I have acne-prone skin.

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ill try and think of more information whenever I can. If you have any questions please ask away!!

So if you have the same type of skin or your body kinda works like mine (lol) then please tell me what has worked for you.

Please post any tips you may have! Thanks!